Electronic devices in use today are requiring ever-increasing amounts of power. Portable energy sources in such devices provide only limited use until the unit is recharged or the energy source is replaced. Typically, recharging can only be performed when the device is not being used (e.g., by placing the energy source or the entire device in a recharging unit) or otherwise requires a hook-up to the power grid or other external energy source, e.g., automobile cigarette lighter.
In the mobile computing environment, one of the primary challenges has been to extend battery life to enable consumers to prolong the use of the device while mobile. In the past, this challenge has typically been met by building low power processors where power consumption is minimized through circuit design and/or power throttling features. However, persistent consumer demand for higher performance renders this approach impractical. For example, recently developed mobile applications use processors requiring 30 watts or more of power to be drawn off over a temperature of about 100° C. Other efforts have focused on extending battery life, although results, to date, have been incremental at best.
For the reasons stated above, there is a need in the art for a simple, yet effective means for extending the life of portable energy sources.